Jenthe Biermans: "flat but very tough"
The Scheldeprijs usually marks the transition between the Flemish cobbled classics and Paris-Roubaix. What makes it special is its flat course. The difficulty lies in the echelons at the start of the race!
“The Scheldeprijs is a flat race all the way round, but paradoxically it’s very tough because we’re in a region of the Netherlands, Zeeland, which is very exposed to the wind. As soon as the race starts, almost after the start, there are a lot of echelons. The finish, on the other hand, is more protected. It’s the first two tackles that usually decide who wins. It’s really tough psychologically, and physically, as positioning is essential. The ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team has a very good team for this event. That’s what will enable us to have a good race at l’Escaut. We’re in a dynamic and positive spiral, and we’re going to fight to achieve the best possible result. I’m going to give it my all. But the main thing is really the kerbs, and to quickly find ourselves in the top echelon of them”.
“The Scheldeprijs traditionally serves as a link between the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. It’s a race that’s all about edging, because we’re in a region of the Netherlands that’s particularly exposed to the wind. There’s a fight right from the start to get into the top echelon of these races. It’s really a race for specialists in classics and wind. You have to be physically and psychologically strong and concentrated from the outset. We’ll have a good ARKEA-B&B HOTELS team for this Scheldeprijs, with Luca Mozzato, Jenthe Biermans, Florian Sénéchal and Dan McLay. It will also be the first race for Lucas Janssen, a rider from the ARKEA-B&B HOTELS Devo team, who will be racing on home soil in the Netherlands.”